Loop-cutting attachment for knitting-machines



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S. T. HARSHAW. LOOP CUTTING ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

N0. 605,873. Patented June21, 1898.

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Patented June 21, 1898.

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LOOP-CUTTING ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 605,873, dated June 21,1898. Application filed November 26, 1897. Serial No. 659,811. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SETH T. HARSHAW, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lansingburg, in the county of Rensselaer and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Loop-Cutting Attachment forKnitting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in providing knitting-machines on which knit plushor other similar goods are made with a cutting mechanism by which loopsformed in the secondary or backing thread will be automatically cut toproduce on the surface of the goods a soft fleece-like finish that willclosely resemble chenille or plush without increasing the cost ofproduction of the goods.

In the accompanying drawings, which are herein referred to and form partof this specification, Figure 1 is a plan View of my invention appliedto an old and well-known form of knitting-machine, only a part of thelatter being shown; Fig. 2, a rear elevation of my invention, showing asmall portion of the needle-cylinder; Fig. 3, a side elevation, on areduced scale, of my invention with parts of the knitting-machine shownin vertical section; Fig. 4, a central vertical section of myloop-cutting mechanism detached from'the knitting-machine, parts of thesame being shown in side elevation; Fig. 5, an inverted plan View of astationary cutter and the hub to which the same is attached; Fig. 6, avertical section of a modified form of my invention Fig. 7, a plan viewof another modification of my invention; and Fig. 8, a vertical sectionof Fig. 7 at the line X X, showing the stationary spindle in sideelevation.

As represented in the drawings, A designates the cylinder of aknitting-machine, B the needles secured in the upper part of thecylinder, and C the knitting-machine table, and it should be understoodthat all of said parts being old and well known form no part of myinvention.

D is a toothed wheel having teeth arranged at an angle to the axis ofsaid wheel, and when teeth of said wheel are adapted to engage in thespaces between the needles B, so that the rotations of the cylinder Awill impart motion to the wheel D. The latter is fitted to rotate on astationary spindle E, that is arranged at an angle that will bring theteeth of the wheel D into vertical positions when saidteeth are engagedwith the needles B. A rotary cutter F is secured to the upper face ofthe wheel D, so that said cutter will be revolvedby the wheel, and theperiphery of said cutter F is provided with a series of hook-shapedteeth G, which have cutting edges and are spaced apart to conform to thepositions of the loops formed on the fabric produced by theknitting-machinethat is tosay, the smaller the loops and the closer theyare arranged the nearer together the teeth G should be spaced. Astationary hub H is secured to the upper part of the spindle E, whereonit remains in a fixed position. The lower face of said hub is providedwith a pair of stops "I, that are. spaced to allow a leaf-spring J tolie in the space, as shown in Fig. 5. The inner end of the spring J issecured to the hub H, and the opposite end of the spring after passingbetween the stops I extends beyond the periphery of the hub and isprovided with a spur K, which depends from the lower face of the spring.A stationary cutter L engages on the spur K, which retains the cutter Lin position, and the spring J presses the cutter L down upon, the upper.face of the rotary cutter F; but in order to obtain a proper contactbetween the cutters F and L to insure a positive cutting of the threadsof the loops an adjusting-screw M is arranged to bear upon the spring J.The cutter'L is arranged slightly above the upper end of the needles B,so as to lie in the path of the loops formed on the fabric, said cutterbeing arranged to out each loop near the middle of the latter, therebyproducing a standing thread'at each end of the loop, and said standingthreads being of a uniform length produce a uniform finish on the cloththat will closely resemble chenille or plush, and in order that thefabric may be maintained in position to insure the engagement of thecutter 'L with said loops a shield or guard N is arranged between theaxis of the cylinder A and the axis of the wheel D, so that said shieldwill bear against the inner side of the fabric slightly above the upperend of the needles B, whereby the fabric will be pressed outward topositively bring the loops in contact with the cutting edge of thecutter L, and the movement of the fabric, which is eifected by themotion of the cylinder A, automatically effects the cutting of thethread.

In the modification of my invention shown in Fig. 6 the flat springshown in Figs. 4 and 5 is dispensed with, and the stationary cutter L,like the one shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, at, and 5, will be held by a point0, that may be formed on the end of a spindle, P, which is carried inthe bore of a sleeve-shaped adjusting-screw Q, which bears against aspring R, which rests upon. a hub on the spindle P; but when preferredthe spindle P may be dispensed with, and in such case the spring R willbe arranged to bear directly on the upper face of the stationary cutterL, and the reduced end of the adjusting-screw Q, will be extended toengage with the stationary cutter and retain the latter in place.

In the modification shown in Figs. 7 and 8 the wheel D and the rotarycutter F are in all respects like those shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, sothat no further description of them will be required. The stationaryspindle E is extended upward, and a hub S is secured upon the upper partof it. The lower part of said hub is provided with a chamber T, whichcontains a spring U, which surrounds said spindle, and a stationarycutter V of a practically disk-like form and provided with one or morehook-shaped teeth W, having cutting edges which coact with the teeth Gof the rotary cutterFto cut the loops on the fabric. The springU pressesthe stationary cutter closely down upon the face of the rotary cutter F,and a spur Y, fixed in the lower end of the hub S, engages in a suitableopening in the stationary cutter V and prevents the latter from movingfrom its position. Preferably the center opening of the stationarycutter V is of greater diameter than the spindle E, and j a flangedannulus Z fits into the opening of the stationary cutter V and receivesthe pressure of the spring U to keep the cutters F 1 and V in cuttingcontact with each other.

It should be understood that in all forms of my invention herein shownand described the loop-cutting mechanism should be arranged to make acut at or closely adjacent to a radial line in respect to theknitting-cylinder and so that a loop will be'divided at or near itsmiddle, so as to produce at each end of the severed loops a series ofstanding threads that will practically be of uniform lengths, therebyproducing a'plush-like surface on the goods without increasing the costof production.

Having described the nature of my invention, .what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A loop-cutting mechanism for knittingmachines consisting of a rotarycutter and a stationary cutter, means for actuating said rotary cutterin a line that is radial in respect to the'eenter line of theknitting-cylinder, and adapted to sever each loop at, or near, themiddle of the latter, as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a knitting-machine, the combination, with a knitting-cylinder anda shield or guard held in astationary position and extended beyond theline of the needles of said cylinder, of a loop-cutting mechanismprovided with a stationary cutter and a revoluble cutter operated by theknitting-cylinder; the said loopcutting mechanism being arranged tosever the loops on a line that is radial to the center of theknitting-cylinder and so that the separation will practically be at themiddle of the loop, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a loop-cutting mechanism, the combination of a rotary cutterprovided with a series of peripheral cuttingteeth,a stationary cutteradapted to engage successively in the loops formed by theknitting-machine, means for actuating said rotary cutter to effect thecutting of the loops at, or near, the middle of the latter, andmeans-substantially as set i forth-for maintaining said cutters infacial contact, as herein specified.

SETH T. IIARSIIAWV.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN OLUTE, W. G. BINDEWALD.

